This is book 1 of a new series "Circ de tarot" that is just so magestic - circus vibes, supernatural mystery, and fantasy fun in the 1930's American Southwest. I absolutely loved it and highly recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC Audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

2.5/5⭐

This left me so mixed feeling and with an aftertaste that reminded me somehow of the vibe of Beautiful creatures (nothing common in the books just the vibe for me was this)

Vandy is an arrogant teenager, unhappy with his life, the girls who don't like him, his mother, his mother's boyfriend, his father, his boss.... in general with 90% of the people that are around him.

The beginning was really goo and was promising interesting book but .. nope.

It lost me with the not well explained (and hardly mentioned) magics system. That Curse of his I couldn't figure it out. His obsession with Sylvia - too much .... As well I don't understand why was such a big deal his virginity?

The whole memory line flashbacks left me confused most of the time as they were not connected to the current time and the event happening. The memory of the 3-year-old Vandy was a joke and quite exaggerated - I don't thing a 3 year old can think this way or remember in such a details.

The first 6 chapter mention no magic.... Is it a fantasy...? With magic?

The side characters are unmemorable.

The pacing is not constant.

The positive thing was the narrator - he was great.

If one asks me I would not recommend the book and most probably will not continue with the next one despite the cliffhanger.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

DNF I'm sorry but between the dialogue to the unlikeable Main character "Vandy" I'm out. However, I do think the narrator did a great job and made the MC as likable as possible but this gave me Catcher in the Rye vibes and not in a good way...

DNF
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I get this is YA but it doesn't have to be this childish. Also, it's show don't tell, not tell and never show. Also, the G-slur was used and authors should know better. If you have to use a slur, make sure the readers know it's inappropriate to use in everyday use and especially by people who are not members of the community the slur is being used against.

The book was overall 2.5 ⭐️. It wasn’t necessarily bad, I just couldn’t make myself care. I didn’t feel connected to the characters whatsoever which was a bit frustrating. Otherwise I did enjoy the more unusual setting and the unusual character backgrounds. The magic itself was also good and the narration wasn’t bad at all. It’s just that it didn’t pull me in and the story didn’t spark any sort of interest.

I received an audiobook version of this book through Netgalley. This is my honest review.

The cover of this book had me expecting Night Circus vibes from this story and it did not deliver on that expectation for me. Instead I got Ladies of the Secret Circus vibes, which is actually more fitting in retrospect. The presence that Vandy hears certainly seems demonic, but he's also blessed/cursed with some cool magical abilities.

Vandy is viewed as a troublemaker by the cops in the small Oklahoma town where the story largely takes place. This is due in part because he's trying to swindle money out of unsuspecting patrons of the zoo at the start of the story, one of those patrons just happens to be a cop with some interesting abilities of his own.

There were a lot of parts of this story that really pissed me off as the mother of teenagers. Vandy is still a child, but in the 1930s when this is set, he was not treated or protected like one. And his mother was a not insignificant part of the problem. Maybe she had demons of her own she was battling, but she failed as a parent.

The narration for this book was okay. The opposite gendered voices bugged me a little at times, but they weren't horrible.

Overall I give Vandemere 4.1036 out of 5 stars.

Came for the tarot, left with Sylvia's boobs.
First and foremost, I listened to this as an audiobook, as a matter of fact, the first audiobook I ever listened to, so I admit that my opinion might be a bit influenced by the format.
But if I had to actually read this I would probably have dropped it halfway in.
This book is an introduction to the next one (which I will not be reading), many "first books" are, but this is <i>a bit too much.</i> What was intended to be the climax was poorly executed and the story felt utterly flat. We didn't even get an introduction to the magic but just to the problem. This book could have been twenty pages long and added to the next one, making it a stand-alone.
<b>Murakami wanna-be (derogatory)</b>
I initially liked the portrait of Vandy as a teenager. I don't agree too much with those who say that teens and sexual things should never meet: teens are <i> hormonated </i>, discovering sexuality... they are <i>not</i> pure angels. But this? This was too much, and this was uncomfortable to read (worst, to hear, I felt violated each time). It was systematical, Sylvia meant one thing: two hours of horny descriptions.
<b>1935?</b>
Genuine question, why is this book set in 1935? And most importantly, where is it shown to us?
This felt so out of the blue, there is not a single detail that immersed us in the period, and not a single reason either. This is particularly upsetting because it's such a delicate time, it baffles me that nothing was mentioned.
<b>Shock value my ass</b>
Sometimes you can just tell when something is there to serve a purpose, in this case, to add shock value... and it was so obvious here. Everything that happened felt flat, every single event seemed scattered around with the sole purpose of lengthen the book and adding shock value
---- WARNING SPOILER AHEAD ----
Like the whole incest thing with Helen? The "we are related" thing was even kind of interesting, but it was dimmed by the situation with Helen. Also, I understand her being a pathological lier, an interesting concept to analyze. But I felt like the things she said were a bit too much, one or two okay, but it was her whole personality, and it made her low-key annoying.
----END OF SPOILER----

The only thing I command of this book is the proper representation of horses, something we rarely see, so it was like a breath of fresh air!
But yeah, as I said in the very beginning, I came for the tarot and found almost none, the book was boring and the characters insufferable, I will not with the second book.



PS: for the likns to other reviews: in the instagram profile, search for the highlited story folder called "book reviews"

Its hard to read a book that is written now that uses slurs. Even if the book was supposed to take place approximately 100 years ago when it would have been very common, it still feels weird to me. The plot/mystery aspects of this story were interesting to me, but there was aspects of the coming of age part of this story that seemed over used. (The MMC spends a lot of time complaining about being a virgin still). There are other ways to show innocence or even growing up than complaints about not getting laid on every page.

I was interested with the description but this wasn’t for me. Half way through I felt it was dragging and it couldn’t keep me interested.

Unfortunatly this one wasn’t for me.
I couldn’t get into the story :(
The mmc seemed quite problematic.
It was too much on the ‘historical fiction’ for me, I thought it would lean more toward the circus / magical vibe than it did.

SUMMARY
Vandemere is a coming-of-age story about a teenage boy living in 1930s Southwest America, working for a two-bit circus as a trick pony-rider.
Caught between the legacies of his parents, he struggles to find his identity between the two scraps of his ancestry that he’s still connected to out on the touring circuit. He takes his estranged father’s name and all the tricks he took the time to teach him, performing as Vandy Davidson; but he can’t deny his Romanian roots. Especially as the magie he inherits from his mother allows him to finally confront the evil that followed his family’s emigration from Romania.
Following the disappearance and death of a child who had been visiting the circus, Vandy’s special gifts come under scrutiny. He must grapple with the where he belongs and whether he can trust his magie.

WHAT WE LIKE
The Narrator - At first, we were concerned that Kyle Shive’s voice might be too mature for Vandemere’s teenage character. Rich and smooth it may be, but that typically isn’t how we think of most 16/17 year old boys. However, he grew on us as the voice of Vandemere. With skillful transitioning between narrative and dialogue, he gives personality to Vandy’s moments of teen angst and distinction to side characters.
The Memories - Vandy’s retellings of significant moments in his life, like when his dad proclaimed he would be a trick rider and subsequently his dad’s abandonment of their family, are heartbreaking. They are deftly woven into significant moments of the story without it feeling like a disruption to the momentum of the plot.
The Circus - We wanted more of the circus life! The glimpses into the other performers and interactions between them left us wanting more!

REAL TALK
The Magic - The rules of magie are a little unclear. Vandy is able see visions of events that occurred in a person’s past and seems to have an intuition he himself doesn’t quite understand. Despite having his mother living with him at the circus, she is cryptic at best when discussing the magie. The curse and shadowed spectre that threaten him are described, but not necessarily explained.
The Ending - Understanding that there is a sequel (‘Fire Horse’), this ending still feels too abrupt. It lacks resolution in a way that makes it feel like a single book has been split in half, rather than resolution to book one that bring larger questions to answer in Book 2.
The G Word - Time for some really real talk and some spoilers to give the context... We, at BonDrac Studios, are not experts in Romani culture. However, we’ve done some learning and listening to those from Romani backgrounds, and what we’ve learned is enough to have concerns over some of this book’s content. Starting with ‘The G Word.’ While the author does indicate multiple times that it is used as a slur, and it is likely this slur would have been used during the time-period, it doesn’t seem like enough care has been given to protect those of Romani ancestry from harmful stereotypes. Vandy’s mother is portrayed as promiscuous and an addict after his father leaves. There is some indication this is a result of the family curse, but it doesn’t look great to have characters who self-proclaim themselves as part of a culture that has been persecuted, to have stereotypical behaviors that oppressive groups used as justification for said persecution. Similarly, the disappearance and murder of a child is linked to Vandy. While he does not have any connection to the harm done to the child, again, this is a stereotype that is pervasive and harmful to those of Romani ancestry. The real sticking point is that the author continuously refers to Vandy and his mother as ‘Romanian.’ This gives us pause. Telling a story of persecution with contextualized details of how stereotypes impact a given oppressed population is perfectly reasonable. But not if the author does not have understanding of the population in question. Romanians and Romani are NOT the same. While some Romani live in Romania, the Roma ethnicity and culture have entirely different ancestral roots, language, and culture from Romanians. The fact that this distinction is not made in this book is root of our discomfort and the main driver of the rating we feel compelled to give.

BOOK DRAGON RATING
The unfortunate use of Romani culture and persecution, with the (less significant but still relevant) poorly formed ending have lead us to giving 2/5 Book Dragons. There is an interesting circus-related story to be told here, but it needs more development and a sensitivity review.

This was such an interesting read. Who doesn't love a good mystery, tarot, possible possession story. The characters are interesting and the things that the main family goes through are definitely strange. I can't wait to be able to read book two in order to figure out what exactly is going on.

The synopsis sounded really good but unfortunately was let down by unlikable characters and a bad narrator.


I'm guessing the author's aim was to have an unbearable ' I hate everything and everyone ' 17 year old teenager but honestly it got very old very fast.

Not to mention the army of unlikable idiotic and just straight out mean for no apparent reason side- characters who just bashed and insulted the main guy..... I just didn't get the point.

Normally I don't mind difficulty characters if the have a point or redeeming qualities or show some sort of growth - but unfortunately having any sense was not in the room with this book

This was all made worse by the narrator with his over dramatics and poor accent skills.

Lastly nothing interesting really happens besides the main character yelling at everyone and a kid getting murdered and some tiny fortune teller magic to get you excited for the next book...

Thank you NetGalley for proving the audiobook in return for an honest review

Thank you Netgally for this audioarc!

I loved the characters and the magic system of this book it was so creative. The narrator did a great job of bringing Vanademere’s perspective to life. I do although wish there was more magic in this story as well. Although I did like this book the only thing that I would say is that some of the sexual aspects were a bit unnecessary. But other than that it kept me interested.

I do think that showcasing the circus via a historical setting was a great idea on the author's end. But I believe the execution needed some more edits before it came to the final showing. I wasn't a fan of the emotional turbulence that our narrator faced. Plus, if you are going to have the setting be in the southwest portion of the United States, I was expecting more imagery than the barely there sentences that we were given.

It was so nice of the publisher and NetGalley to have this as a free audio arc. I was definitely intrigued by the book description. I'm sad to say I didn't make it past 40%. I loved the narrator, but this book just didn't hold my attention. I have kept trying to go back to it and continue listening, but I keep finding other things to read instead. I'm just not sure I'll ever be able to finish this.

I attempted to listen to this self-published audiobook, which I assume is intended as a YA novel given that the main character is 17. However, I ultimately chose to DNF at 32% due to several issues that made it difficult to stay engaged.

One of my main concerns is the book's use of Romani culture. I did some research but couldn’t find any confirmation that the author has Romani heritage. If she does, I may be mistaken, but if not, the use of this culture—especially in combination with other problematic elements—felt uncomfortable to me.

Set in the 1930s, the novel does include derogatory terms. I understand their historical context, and the book does portray them as derogatory rather than excusing them, which I appreciate. However, that does not outweigh my other concerns.

One of the most jarring aspects for me was the way the main character’s sexuality was portrayed. While it is normal for a 17-year-old boy to have sexual thoughts, the book places an excessive and almost crude emphasis on his desires. Love and lust are used interchangeably, which adds to the discomfort. Given the use of Romani culture, this portrayal also feels like it leans into harmful stereotypes.

In the 32% I listened to, there was very little actual plot. Instead, the book delivers an overwhelming amount of background information, and only about half of it seemed relevant. Perhaps more context is given later, but at this point in a novel, I expect to feel engaged in some way—whether through the plot or the characters—and I felt no connection to either.

One thing that stood out was the author's knowledge of horses, which is evident in the writing. This isn’t necessarily a positive or negative aspect—just a clear strength of the author that is reflected in the main character’s expertise.

Ultimately, I stopped listening because, after nearly a third of the book, I found myself uninterested in both the story and the protagonist. While some might find aspects of the book engaging, it did not work for me due to its lack of compelling plot, the way it handled its cultural elements, and the uncomfortable focus on the protagonist’s sexuality.

Props to the narrator though. The performance was quite good.

I looked forward to listening to Vandemere based on the description filled with circus life and magic in the 1930s American Southwest. The writing style in Vandemere flows easily and keeps the reader captivated from the start. Unfortunately, the plot fell flat, often swerving in unnecessary directions making it difficult to follow the main storyline. I couldn't root for any of the characters (not even the hero) who were all either unlikeable or one-demential. I wanted to like this book more than I did, but it nearly made its way to my DNF list.


*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the audio version in exchange for my honest review.*

This book had so much potential to be good but had to many themes competing to really follow along. It had to many themes to really do any one theme justice.

* Although this book had a slow start i actually enjoyed it. It took me about 45% of the way through before i was really interested and wanted to finish the book, but once i actually got into the book i didn’t want to put it down. I enjoy the mystery aspect and i really enjoy that even though it leaves on a little bit of a cliffhanger it still leaves in a spot that actually makes sense to do so. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this ALC for review consideration. All opinions are my own.